Dartmoor calls for improved government funding

Dartmoor National Park Authority (DNPA) has called on the government to provide "adequate and sustained financial investment" so national parks can "lead the way towards a green recovery".

The government has set out plans aimed at safeguarding England's national parks for future generations.

Dartmoor, which has a £3.8m net budget, is one of 10 national parks in England.

DNPA said it is "experiencing sustained cuts to core funding with increased demands to our budget".

The government's plans follow the Landscapes Review of 2018, which looked at whether the existing protections for national parks and Areas of Outstanding Beauty (AONBs) were still fit for purpose.

Dr Kevin Bishop, chief executive of DNPA said: "Since the Landscapes Review was published, the world has changed; the pandemic has demonstrated the importance of connecting people with nature for health and wellbeing benefits and a bright light has been shone on the role protected landscapes play in dealing with the climate and ecological crisis we all face."

He called on the Government to improve financial investment, and recognise the role national parks and AONBs play in tackling climate, ecological and health crises.

His statement also asked the government to "celebrate the fact that our National Parks and AONBs are global models of how to manage living landscapes: integrating conservation, recreation and the needs of our local communities."

Environment Secretary George Eustice said the plans - including a public consultation - were "a new chapter in the story of our protected landscapes".

He said they will "change the purpose of national parks and AONBs so there is a stronger emphasis on nature and nature's recovery".

Increased access to nature is among the aims set out in the new plans.

Using landscapes in the fight against climate change is also central to the aims, along with protecting biodiversity and supporting people's health and wellbeing for the next 70 years and beyond.

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